Some Chicago areas have created drive up testing sites, but participating in this type of testing requires access to an automobile. Communities of color have been criticized for not taking shelter in recommendations seriously, however, according to the Economic Policy Institute, one in five African Americans and one in six Latinos do not hold the type of jobs that would allow them to do so.
The Hill
May 22, 2020
People of color (black, Latino, Asian American and other non-whites) account for 43% of all essential workers in the nation amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an analysis of data released earlier this week by the Economic Policy Institute. White Americans still make up a majority of essential workers nationally, according to the data.
ABC News
May 22, 2020
That 44 percent difference sounds like a big deal, but not to folks familiar with the data. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the wage of the typical worker grew roughly 2 percent in the second period. So sure, wage growth of 2.88 percent over the course of a decade is better than 2.0 percent growth over a decade, but I don’t think I would make too much of that difference.
Counter Punch
May 22, 2020
What they’re saying: “We don’t know how many people have fallen off unemployment because they got rehired,” Heidi Shierholz, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute, tells Axios.
Axios
May 22, 2020
Young European workers, who have staffed many U.S. resorts, are staying home. Visa processing for U.S. work and travel visas at consulates abroad has basically shut down everywhere, except for farmworkers, according to Daniel Costa, director of immigration law and policy research for the Economic Policy Institute.
Bloomberg News
May 22, 2020
In normal times, the seasonal adjustments help smooth out the data and provide a clearer picture. But in a crisis such as this one, adjustments can distort what’s really going on, said Heidi Shierholz, senior economist and director of policy at the Economic Policy Institute.
CNN Business
May 22, 2020
What’s more, state unemployment systems have been completely overwhelmed with the number of new claims, leaving many qualified applicants who desperately need money without the benefits to which they’re entitled, according to a report by Ben Zipperer and Elise Gould of the Economic Policy Institute. Around nine in 10 Americans say that the coronavirus pandemic is causing anxiety about their finances, according to an online survey of 2,000 U.S. adults conducted April 7–9, 2020, by The Harris Poll.
Stamford Advocate
May 22, 2020
Millions of Americans — who watched states close non-essential businesses, subsequently crushing their careers — cannot even access unemployment benefits, according to the Economic Policy Institute. While some of these problems have been remedied, for others, collecting unemployment insurance was never an option.
Activist Post
May 22, 2020
Typically, the Black unemployment rate is double that of whites. Heidi Shierholz, policy director at the Economic Policy Institute, points out that many of the job losses are to undocumented immigrants — often paid under the table — who generally do not have access to food stamps, health care, and subsidized housing; nor are they eligible to receive the $1,200 stimulus checks.
Minnesota Women's Press
May 22, 2020